Lynn,
I just wanted you to know that I like your contemporary literature reading
list idea. Are the students required to read a certain number of books
from the list during the first quarter? Do they have to complete any
other written work or discussion requirements during the reading time?
Does the second quarter analysis help them understand the idea of what
makes a good storyline? This project is still used in a Creative Writing
class, correct?

Thanks!
Cheryl

aprillyn@bonduel.k12.wi.us writes:
>Cindy,>>When I started Creative Writing, I inherited a "list" of biographies and>autobiographies from another teacher which were supposed to be "good>writing".>I had never read any of them, so how could I possibly encourage my>students to>read them? I think being a reader yourself is the greatest encouragement>you>can give to students. I dumped the original list and came up with a list>of>contemporary literature which I have read the last five years as part of>a book>club, and which I knew were great books. Some of them are difficult>reads (A>Prayer for Owen Meany), and many today contain "adult situations", but we>discuss this beforehand. I use this with a junior/senior class, so most>of them>have been exposed to this stuff long before they select from this list.>Some of>the other titles include Deep End of the Ocean, Map of the World, Black>and>Blue, The Bean Trees, Snow Falling on Cedars, Flowers for Algernon,>Watership>Down, Montana 1948 (by a great Wisconsin writer, Larry Watson). It is so>fun>watching my students devour these books, and it is so much easier for me>to>encourage them to read, because I know what they're about. We have a>continuing>dialogue during the quarter that they read them, and then they do an>analysis>paper on them in the second quarter.>>Lynn Aprill>Bonduel High School